The star posted a picture of a quote which reads “Fall in love with taking care of yourself, mind, body, spirit” on Instagram Wednesday, along with the caption: “We all need to take time for a little ‘me time.’ :)”

A source close to the family tells PEOPLE exclusively that “Britney just needed to focus on herself” as she cares for her father Jamie after his “life-threatening” colon rupture.

“Her dad being sick has taken a toll on her,” the source continues. “He nearly died and actually had another surgery a few weeks ago. He’s not doing well. They’re so close and it has been a lot. There is nothing dramatic going on with her — she just realized she needs to make sure to take time to care for herself.”

While gearing up for a return to the Las Vegas strip with her show Domination after taking wildly successful Vegas show Britney: Piece of Me on tour over the summer, Spears, 37, announced that she was taking an indefinite break from work in January to support her father.

“I don’t even know where to start with this, because this is so tough for me to say,” Spears wrote in an emotional tweet, posting an old photo of her posing with both her parents, Jamie, 66, and Lynne, 63. “I will not be performing my new show Domination. I’ve been looking forward to this show and seeing all of you this year, so doing this breaks my heart.”

“However, it’s important to always put your family first… and that’s the decision I had to make,” she elaborated in a follow-up tweet. “A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalized and almost died. We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him.”

Spears’ first residency had grossed over $100 million in ticket sales as of January 2017 and had been seen by over 700,000 fans, but family comes first.

“I am dedicating my focus and energy to care for my family,” explained Spears — whose new Las Vegas residency was set to launch at the Park Theater at Park MGM in February — in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time. “We have a very special relationship and I want to be with my family at this time just like they have always been there for me.”

However, it’s important to always put your family first… and that’s the decision I had to make. A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalized and almost died. We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him.

As the statement explained, the singer “has been tremendously involved with caring for her family, and as a result of [Jamie’s] health issues and ongoing recovery, she is going to take time off.”

Earlier in March, a source told PEOPLE that Spears was “continuing to focus on her family” as Jamie underwent a second surgery in hopes of fully repairing his colon.

Jamie also shares Bryan Spears, 41, and Jamie Lynn Spears, 27, with Lynne. The couple divorced in 2002 after nearly three decades of marriage but reconciled in 2010, PEOPLE confirmed at the time.

In 2008, a Los Angeles court named Jamie permanent conservator of Spears’ affairs. He was also named permanent co-conservator of her estate, along with an attorney, Andrew Wallet.

Last year, Spears’ family had to rally together for support when her 8-year-old niece Maddie — the daughter of sister Jamie Lynn — had a scary ATV accident that left her unconscious for nearly two days. Maddie has since recovered, but Spears reached out for prayers over social media at the time.

In recent years, Spears — who is dating trainer and model Sam Asghari, 25 — has focused on motherhood as well as music, documenting her adventures in parenting from tropical vacations to practical jokes on Instagram.

“My kids come first in my life, bottom line,” Spears told PEOPLE exclusively in a 2015 cover story, opening up about her children Sean Preston, 13, and Jayden James, 12 — whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline, 41.

In the same story, her mom Lynne told PEOPLE: “I am so proud of my daughter and all her accomplishments, but I am especially proud of the mom she is and the woman she has become.”